The Bad Boy And The Mermaid

Hunter

I was in the midst of gobbling down a toast when I saw Blue’s towel lying on the chaise. I sighed.

It was her habit of forgetting things and having me to bring it back to her. I contemplated walking into the bathroom while she was having a bath, surely she’d drawn the curtain, right?

I tossed the toast back on the plate, picked up the towel and padded into the bathroom. When I walked inside, I heard her singing. A melodious tune, and her voice was a sweet, peaceful to the ears.

I stood there, listening to her hum.

“You have a beautiful voice, Blue. I didn’t know you could sing.”

She stopped singing at once, and I had the feeling like she was going to be shy about it. “Did you like it?” I heard her ask me from behind the curtain.

“Yeah. I did. You should sing more often, mostly outside of the bathroom.” I laughed, hanging the towel on the hook.

I heard her giggle. “If you like my singing that much, maybe I’d sing just for you.”

The bathroom curtain was a thin fabric, almost see through. I could see her blue hair and instead of her legs, I saw a tail. My heart started beating. That night when I’d seen her full mermaid form, it had been dark so I couldn’t get a clear view.

Now was my chance.

Cautiously, I approached the bathtub, caught one end of the thin material and pushed it aside revealing a very confused Blue. Of course she didn’t scream or try to cover herself like any other normal girl.

She just smiled shyly at me. “What are you doing?” And suddenly the tail plopped beneath the water into the bubbles.

Blue looked even more gorgeous in water. Her aqua blue hair glowed, her expression was gleeful and carefree. Her skin was flawless without having used any cosmetics in her life. She was just beyond perfect. I could see why they said mermaids were the reason for some ship wrecks and even storms. If this girl asked me to jump off a high building, it would be hard to say no. The next thing, I’d probably be making poetry about her.

Fuck!

I pointed at the end of the tub. “I want to see it.”

“See what?” She asked.

“Your fishtail. Show it to me.”

Blue shook her head. “You’re going to be disgusted again like last time.”

I stared at her incredulously, and laughed. “You are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met. Nothing about you will ever remotely disgust me. Now, I want to see it.”

Hesitantly, she brought the tail up from the bubble filled water. And for a minute I just froze, wondering if I was still dreaming. What if this was all a figment of my imagination? Maybe Blue was a normal woman, and my mind made her up. I could be a schizophrenic imagining things that didn’t exist.

But no, this was reality.

A long fishtail with blue and silver lines on it, scales covering beneath it. I didn’t know how long I’d been staring, she said. “Well? What do you think?”

“You are still beautiful, sweetheart, and this is a part of you. I like it.” I grinned.

She smiled back, the one that I was so used to getting. “Really?” She looked relieved. “That makes me so happy, Hunter. I thought you didn’t like seeing it at all. I mean that other day when we were at the shore and I was going home, you seemed disturbed after seeing it.”

I shook my head. “Surprised, that’s all.” I started walking out of the bathroom. “Breakfast is ready when you are.” I winked at her, closed the door behind me.

Blue walked out of the bathroom wearing my t-shirt like a dress which she merely floated in. I passed a pair of shorts towards her that was lying around. curtsy of my sister Hannah, who crashed at my place when she was too drunk to go home.

I brought Blue close to me, she smelled of the strawberry shampoo that I’d bought her. Carefully, I tucked the t-shirt into the shorts and helped Blue blow-dry her hair.

“Would you like me to braid your hair?” I asked.

“Do you know how to? Coral used to do that for me.”

“Well, I may not be as good as your mermaid friend, but I used to do it for my sister.”

She settled down on the mattress and I began to braid her long hair. In the end, I was glad that she was happy with the results.

sister. It had been a difficult task to keep Leslie from trying to tag along with us. He was under the impression that I was leaving Blue

in the parking lot empty space. Hannah was late as usual. The word “Punctuality” didn’t exist in her dictionary, and I was going

That little shit!

In the few days that I’d known her, I knew the was always anxious when she had something

hers. “Are

shook her

upset that I’m

turned from the window to look at me.

“What do you mean?”

dug her fingers into my palm, a worried expression on her face. “You will come back

assured her. “You think that I

a lot of

said. “You

cared about my thoughts, who wasn’t selfish enough to care about me only because I came from a

remember what I told

in Europe called Askada. Since Hannah’s intelligence is similar to that of a carrot eating rabbit, she won’t know where to pin Askada on a world’s map. If she asks me about my age, I’m to tell her that I’m twenty years old even though I’m a little over two hundred. If she asks how we met, I should mention that we were online buddies and since I had a huge crush on

everything they taught her, I patted her head. “Very good, Blue. You remember everything. I’m so proud of you. Now, what if she asked you

my plane landed, all my baggage was

my friend, okay? We are just friends, you

“Just Friends.” Blue repeated.

around the parking lot, hunting for a parking space. After a few minutes she spotted an open space and parked it. Hannah’s parking was bad. Her car was literally touching the next car but she didn’t care. She climbed out and banged the door shut, taking off her shades in style like she was a lead in a Fast

Be a good girl, Blue.” I

I kiss you too?”

my cheek and

* * *

Blue

nice hair and her eyes were green and looked like gems. I was

A lot.

television last time in a movie where the boy and girl kissed and I wanted to try that because it looked so nice but I

if he doesn’t like being kissed

was fine too, as long as I got to do it all the time, besides I liked feeling the little prickly facial hair on my lips every time I kissed his cheeks, and he

large building with lots of people. I didn’t like to be around many people, it

this is Blue. She’s my friend.”

me curiously, her eyes moved from the bottom to the top, a smile crossing her lips. “Nice to meet you, Blue. God, can I just tell you how cute you are? Your skin looks

I didn’t expect this. Hunter told me if I didn’t understand a

don’t know.” I responded

to you for a

I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I folded my arms across my chest and moved from one foot to the other, feeling uncomfortable. I raked my hand

it because of

and started walking in the other direction. I stood there looking at him disappear through the magic doors that opened and closed automatically.

want Hunter

I felt Hannah place a hand on my shoulders. “Come on, Blue. Let’s go

everyone staring at me? I want to change out

a great wardrobe. Hunter’s jaw is going to fucking drop on the floor in a puddle of his own drool the minute

stared at her. “But I don’t want his jaw to drop. He looks good with a jaw. I

the same way Hunter always did when I said something. “Hunter did warn me you were hilarious. Anyway, I really

told me I could pick anything I liked and then Hannah would pay with money. It wasn’t like back in the under water world where we did barter system like I would give my pearls or shells in exchange for anything I wanted. Hunter said money was to be earned by doing

a pair of jeans that was torn on the knees. I told her that it was torn, but Hannah said that was fashion. I trusted Hannah. I got a new pair of shoes she called

number of paper bags with all my purchases. Two dresses which I liked, a number of t-shirts, denims and

and she took me to a nice eating area where Hannah bought

brought the burger to her mouth before asking me, “So where are

Hunter told me again? Oh

I’m from a small country in Europe called Askada. Since Hannah’s intelligence is similar to that of a carrot eating rabbit,

said it. Just like Hunter told me, but somehow Hannah didn’t seem happy to

patty slid from between the bread and hit the tray.

head. “Just a carrot eating rabbit.” I corrected her. If Hunter called her dumb,